Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	heart_n	keep_v	mercy_n	22,440	5	8.1720	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B07200	Good Christian looke to thy creede : for a true triall of an holy profession, and of the truth of religion, from all crooked by-paths. / By Richard Bernard rector of Batcombe in Sumersetshire..	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1630 (1630)	STC 1941.5; ESTC S90465	12,536	39

power A. That hee is exceedingly able aboundantly Ephe. 3. 20. to doe for me aboue all that I can thinke because he is Almighty Q. Wherein doth this appeare A. Because he made Heauen and Earth Q. What doe you conclude now out of all these things A. That I am safe vnder his al-sufficiency for the good of body and soule by whose power through faith I am kept vnto saluation and so to enioy life euerlasting 1. Pet. 1. 5. Q. May you then liue securely as it were carelesly vpon this confidence A. God forbid for I am commanded to worke out my Saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And in my Creed I am taught to beleeue that there is as well a Hell for the wicked as a Heauen for the Godly Q. Now besides this your Creed are there any other helps to awe a man to God-ward and to keepe him from carnall securitie A. Yes indeed very easie to be conceiued and to be gathered out of the other parts of the Common Catechisme with setled meditations thereupon Q. As how I pray you vpon the Commandements A. I. To thinke seriously whose they be euen the precepts of the God of Heauen and earth terrible in wrath and without respect of person in executing vengeance against transgressors II. That they are the rule of righteousnesse to euery Christian concerning his dutie to God to man and to himselfe III. That a curse is vpon euery one hat either wilfully or carelesly leadeth a life without conscionable respect vnto these Commandements IV. That by our Church we are taught and with our mouthes wee pray that the Lord would haue mercy vpon vs to encline our hearts to keepe euery Law and we beseech him to write all these his Lawes in our hearts V. That in thus praying in words and yet without affection of heart or conscience of obedience we mocke God and prouoke him the more to wrath by so dallying with such a dreadfull Maiestie VI. That this Law was giuen in great terrour making all Israell to feare and tremble at the deliuery thereof Oh then thinke what wil be that horror in mens hearts when God comes to execute his Iustice powring vyals of wrath vpon the rebellious VII That God hath for our incouragement exhorted vs to obey them left memorable examples of men liuing in obedience blesing and rewarding them for well doing with promises of his mercies to all others that so doe and to reward them with euerlasting glory in the end VIII And lastly that God on the contrary hath dehorted vs from transgressions left fearefull examples of his wrath vpon Offendors threatning still to take vengeance vpon exery such wicked one and in the end to cast them all into Hell there to be tormented in flaming fire with the Deuill and his Angells for euer Q. These eight Meditations may shake the stoutest heart and humble the highest thoughts of such as make no conscience of sinne and goe on in their courses But how may a man from the Lords prayer rouze vp his heart from carnall securitie A. If rightly vnderstanding what he asketh and hath also a true desire to obtaine what hee craueth of God if I say hee shall demand questions of himselfe before hee pray thus meditating I. How can I except I resolue to mocke God say hallowed be thy Name by me in an holy conuersation and yet liue in all prophanenesse lewdly dishonouring his Name abusing his mercy and benefits not regarding his Iustice and liuing without all respect of his Glory and praise II. How can I say thy Kingdome come and desire that God may erect vp here a Kingdome of grace in our hearts by his Spirit Word and the Ministery of faithfull Teachers to prepare vs to Glory and yet resist the motions of the Spirit refuse to be ruled by him hate Gods Ministers mocke at the preaching of the Word iest at the reading of Scriptures and liue as if there were neither Heauen nor Hell God nor Deuill nor any day of Iudgement III. How can I begge heartily to doe Gods Will here in Earth as it is in Heauen and yet liue in ignorance of Gods Will following my owne lusts or other mens wills despising the reuealed will of God neuer doing what God would haue done as hee requires his will to be done to wit willingly readily ioyfully faithfully sincerely cōstantly But if I do it it is too too vnwillingly with deferring off by halfes with by-respects and but onely by fits in some sickenesse or other crosse IV. How can I euery day say Giue me this day my dayly bread to wit that which is mine honestly and iustly come by and yet liue either idly or distrustfully in excessiue care or fraudulently getting maintenance by coozonage and deceit and riches by oppression vsury and extortion by shifting by gaming yea by swearing forswearing robbery and theft distrusting continually Gods prouidence in the vse of lawfull meanes as fearing losse thereby V. How can I desire with sorrow in sight of sinne the pardon of sinne euen as I forgiue others trespassing against me and yet wallow in sinne as the Swine in mire in drunkennesse adultery gluttony murther slander lying swearing forswearing and greedy coueting also in malice enuie grudging ill-will with desire of reuenge and in other vncharitable courses VI. How can I desire to bee deliuered from euill and the power of temptations and yet wilfully runne into ill company hearken to ill Counsell follow ill examples auoiding the societie of such as be well disposed but easily yeelding to Sathans suggestions studying to fulfill the desires and lusts of the flesh and conforming to euery vaine fashion custome and practice of this present world Q. Surely if euery man would thus aske himselfe before he begin to pray either it would reforme him or make him most inexcusable at the Barre of Gods Iustice would it not A. Yes without all peraduenture if a man withall consider I. That Prayer is an immediate presenting of a mans selfe into Gods holy presence a Maiestie infinite and of great glory not to be abused with idle lip-labour II. That hee presumeth to call God Father in Heauen which cannot bee but by diuine grace and by the spirit of adoption therefore hee being gracelesse must needs herein abuse God by claming a Sonne-ship without the spirit of Regeneration III. That his owne mouth witnesseth against his owne wayes while hee making request for that which he vtterly in heart and yet in life opposeth and so prepareth for himselfe without all excuse matter of iust condemnation except hee vse the meanes to attaine to that which in words hee seemeth dayly to request for himselfe at Gods hands Q. Can you shew me how a man may bee moued to a holy life by meditating vpon his baptisme A. Yes I. He must know that by it he is made a member of Christ the Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdome of Heaven If he be renued by the holy Ghost

reformed in life and haue the stipulation of a good conscience as all haue that bee baptised with the holy Ghost which is that inward baptisme II. That he made a great and solemne Couenant then before God and before the Lords people 1. To forsake the Deuill the world and the flesh and neuer to be led by them 2. To fight under Christs Banner against all Christs and his spirituall Enemies continuing Christs faithfull Souldier and Seruant to his liues end III. That this Couenant thus made so solemnely so sealed with Christs pretious blood the performance of it will be assuredly required at his hands one day Q. How may a man stirre vp his soule to the thought of heauenly things and to amendment of life from the Lords Supper A. By considering what the whole action setteth forth vnto him I. A liuely representation vnto our eyes in the signes of the death and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the blessed propitiation and sacrifice for our sinnes II. Gods infinite mercie in giuing his sonne and Christs vnspeakeable loue in being willing to die for vs miserable sinners III. Hereupon to iudge of the desperate and vtterly forlorne estate of all mankinde with losse of Gods fauour and the hope of heauen being accursed for euer and damned in Hell if this had not beene a remedie beyond merit of all men and Angels and the worth of ten thousand Worlds And that therefore wee owe to God for this so vnspeakable a benefit our bodies our soules our goods our liues yea all and euery thing whatsoeuer we be to his glory and praise Q. Surely mee thinkes that these things should presse the most rebellious heart that may be to haue remorse for sinne and to leaue off all his impious courses and to set himselfe carefully to the holy seruice of his Maker and Redeemer But yet I finde by experience euery where that is not so What thinke you may be the cause that most for all this liue so securely without any feare of Hell and are so vainely confident of their enioying of Heauen and yet no better prepared for it A. The maine reason is the ignorance of their spirituall estate through the darknesse that is in them and inbred corruption dimming the eye-sight of the Soule that they cannot see what they are nor whither they be going Q. In how many things doe this ignorance of themselues appeare A. Principally in two things Q. Which is the first A. That they cannot be perswaded that they bee so bad as they indeed are This conceit we may see in Hazael 2. Kings 8. 13. who would no more beleeue what the Prophet spake of his cruell nature then hee could beleeue himselfe of a man to be turned into a dog The proud Pharisee denied himselfe to bee an extortioner or vniust Luke 18. 11. And yet he was full of Rauin Luke 11. 39. The Priests in Mal. 1. 6. 7. would not be held despisers and polluters of Gods Name nor the Iewes guilty of blood Ier. 2. 34. 35. nor the wicked at the last day to haue beene vnmercifull but will out-face Christ with a flat deniall Mat. 25. yea Peter was tainted with this conceitednesse for by no words of Christ would he beleeue himselfe to be such a Coward as to bee brought to deny Christ Matth. 26. and yet he did the malitious will not be malitious nor the proud proud nor the couetous nor the vaine glorious so nor so Q. How commeth this conceite to bee so strong in them A. Through ignorance of their owne corrupruptions the deceitfulnesse of their owne hearts and carelesnesse to try and search out their waies to know themselues Q. Which is the other thing in which the ignorance of themselues appeareth A. In being conceited that they are farre better then indeed they be The Iewes guilty of blood said we are innocent Ier. 2. 35. The blinde guides Matth. 13. will boast that they see Ioh. 9. 41. Rom. 2. 17. 24. They that are nothing yet will thinke themselues something Gal. 6. 3. Zidkias will suppose himselfe to haue the Spirit of of God 1. Kings 22. when it was a lying spirit of Sathan The Rich young man Matth. 19. 20. held himselfe perfect and wanting nothing such a conceited foole was the Laodicean Angell Reu. 3. yea there is a generation pure in their owne eyes and yet are not clensed from their filthinesse Pro. 30. 12. Q. What maketh them to be then conceited of themselues A. I. A flattering humour in them apt to soothe themselues in their owne conceit Psa 6. 2. And so to blesse themselues against all dangers Deut. 29. 18 19. Amos 9. 10. Esa 28. 15. Ier. 5. 12 13. Zeph. 1. 12. Psal 10. 6. II. Gods passing them ouer with silence and not afflicting nor punishing them wherevpon they thinke God to be like vnto themselues to allow of their courses Psal 50. 21. Else not to see or not to regard their wayes or seeing them yet that hee then forgiue them so doe they put Gods Iudgements farre away out of their sight Psal 10. 5 11 13. III. By comparing themselues first with their owne selues looking onely vpon that which they like and that which they thinke others will like in them as the Pharise who looked vpon his fasting praying tything Luke 18. and what euill he had not done but not what euill he did Secondly By comparing themselues with other like themselues doing what they doe the Pharises said doe any of the Pharises and Elders Ioh. 7. 45. 48 belieue on him so the false Apostles did 2. Cor. 10. 12. Thirdly By comparing themselues with such as are in their conceit worse then themselues Thus the Pharisee preferred himselfe before the poore Publican Luke 18. And the Elder sonne before his prodigall brother Luke 16. 29. Not then discerning his contempt to his Father and his vnnaturalnesse to his Brother Fourthly By comparing themselues with the Godly not in beholding their vertues but their falls from which if they can finde themselues cleere outwardly then they lift vp their crests and crow alowd in their owne praises IV. By doing sometimes some things which procure them some praises with the Godly as Iehu did who had Ionadab with him in his zealous prosecution of Gods Command against the house of Ahab and Baals Priests V. By hauing some forme of Godlinesse though they be without the power thereof 2. Tim. 3. 5. By saying some prayers by comming to Gods House they thinke the euils done is acquitted thereby Ier. 7. 10. and they for comming to heare God Word to be accepted of Christ Luke 13. 26. VI. By their outward prosperity and wealth sometimes so they doe thinke themselues wise Prou. 28. 11. and blesse God because they are rich though the manner of getting be naught Zacha. 11. 5. and hauing no changes like other men they grow secure without feare of euill Psal 10. 6. VII By their conscience lying a sleepe or dead in